Los Altos New Construction — Custom Homes & Teardown Rebuilds

Who reviews new construction in Los Altos?

Los Altos is the City of Los Altos. Planning, plan-check, building permits, and inspections all run through the City's Community Development Department. Los Altos Hills is a separate Town with its own building department — see the Los Altos Hills page if your parcel is in the Hills.

Most Los Altos single-family projects clear administrative review when designed inside the as-of-right envelope. Variances or projects exceeding FAR or daylight rules trigger discretionary review.

What ground-up projects suit Los Altos

• Teardown rebuilds

  Removal of an aging single-family home followed by a current-code ground-up replacement.

• Custom homes on intact lots

  Ground-up homes designed against the City's FAR and daylight-plane rules.

• Major remodel-plus-addition

  Reuse of foundation and partial primary structure when trees or finance constrain a full rebuild.

• ADU + primary rebuild

  Pairing a state-rules ADU with the primary new construction to optimize use of the parcel.

Local constraints that shape Los Altos budgets and schedules

Los Altos enforces a heritage-tree ordinance with permit requirements for removal and replacement planting. Construction near a heritage tree requires protection fencing and arborist monitoring.

Daylight-plane and FAR geometry shape envelope and second-floor setbacks. Designing around them late costs money — sketch against them from day one.

The 2025 California Energy Code (effective Jan 1, 2026) pushes most new construction toward heat pumps and electric-ready service even where local reach codes are lighter than Palo Alto's.

Cost factors specific to Los Altos

• Tree protection and arborist monitoring for heritage-tree parcels.

• All-electric / heat-pump package under the 2025 energy code.

• Peninsula labor and material stack — Los Altos finish costs track the surrounding Peninsula market for comparable scope.

• Site work and drainage for parcels at the foot of the Hills with sub-surface water.

Permit and timeline reality in Los Altos

Administrative review projects (most as-of-right new homes) clear faster than discretionary projects. Plan-check corrections drive the calendar more than the initial submittal review.

Realistic envelope from kickoff to permit issuance is many months; construction of a Los Altos custom home commonly runs 12–18+ months. Feasibility tightens the per-parcel range.

Engineering you will actually need

• Geotechnical report for foundation design and drainage.

• Drainage and erosion-control plan for stormwater compliance.

• Title 24 Part 6 energy compliance under the 2025 code.

• Arborist report and tree-protection plan.

• Structural and seismic design for the parcel's profile.

Risks and bottlenecks unique to Los Altos

• FAR miscount

  Garage, accessory, and basement spaces interact with FAR in non-obvious ways. Confirm calculation method early.

• Heritage trees

  Adjacent heritage trees can constrain foundation and basement scope.

• PG&E service upgrade

  Electric service upgrades for all-electric homes can lag the permit.

• Discretionary triggers

  Variance requests reset the schedule clock — avoid them in design when possible.

Frequently asked questions

Is Los Altos the same as Los Altos Hills?

No. Los Altos is a City with its own Community Development Department. Los Altos Hills is a Town with its own building department and a very different rulebook for hillside parcels. Always verify which jurisdiction applies.

Do most Los Altos new homes need discretionary review?

Most as-of-right new homes designed inside the FAR and daylight envelope clear administrative review. Variance or oversize projects trigger discretionary review.

Does Los Altos require all-electric construction?

The 2025 California Energy Code pushes most new construction toward heat-pump and electric-ready service. Confirm any current local reach-code amendments at permit filing.

How long does a Los Altos custom home take?

Realistic envelope from kickoff to permit issuance is many months, and construction commonly runs 12–18+ months. We tighten the range in feasibility.

What does a Los Altos custom home cost?

Per-sq-ft tracks Peninsula benchmarks. Honest 2026 ranges live on /new-construction/cost; per-parcel ranges come from feasibility.

Do I need geotech on a flat Los Altos lot?

Yes. Even flat Peninsula parcels need soils data, and some areas carry liquefaction implications affecting foundation design.

Official sources

• City of Los Altos — Community Development ↗

  City of Los Altos

  Authoritative permit, plan-check, and review portal.

• City of Los Altos — Heritage Tree Ordinance ↗

  City of Los Altos

  Heritage tree designation, removal permit, and replacement requirements.

• California Energy Commission — 2025 Energy Code ↗

  California Energy Commission

  Statewide Title 24 Part 6 baseline effective for permits filed on/after January 1, 2026.

• California Geological Survey — Seismic Hazard Zones ↗

  California Department of Conservation

  Alquist-Priolo and Seismic Hazard Zone maps for liquefaction and landslide.

• Bay Area Air Quality Management District — J-Number / Asbestos ↗

  BAAQMD

  Demolition notification and asbestos NESHAP requirements for Bay Area teardowns.

Related pages

• California New Construction hub →

  Statewide overview of ground-up residential design-build.

• Bay Area New Construction →

  Nine-county Bay Area permit patchwork and Peninsula context.

• Custom Homes →

  Design-build framework for one-off custom home delivery.

• Teardown Rebuild →

  Remodel vs rebuild analysis, demo permits, utility reconnects.

• New Construction Cost →

  Honest 2026 cost ranges with named drivers.

• Permit Timeline →

  Realistic plan-check, planning, and clearance windows.

• Design-Build Process →

  How feasibility, design, permit, and build sit under one contract.

• Title 24 & CALGreen →

  2025 California Energy Code, heat pumps, electric-ready requirements.